Newcastle United are planning to splash out £1.2billion to build a new stadium that would rival Manchester United's Old Trafford home. The Magpies currently play at St James' Park, though have felt restricted by its 52,305 capacity. Club chiefs have been exploring the future of their home for some time, a process which was accelerated when Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund bought the club. There have been discussions around refurbishing St James' Park and even building a new stadium altogether on a separate site. But it now appears that an amalgamation of the two plans could prove to be selected.

Both plans present a number of challenges, with limited spare space being available in Newcastle's city centre. But one option for a new site is Leazes Park, a Victorian-era green space which sits in the shadow of Newcastle's current home. According to The Telegraph, Newcastle chiefs are edging towards recommending a new £1.2bn expansion with a capacity of just under 70,000 to the club's Saudi owners. There is said to be 'growing momentum' behind the plan, which is seen as being 'hugely ambitious'.

If approved by the ownership, it would see Newcastle call home to the second largest club stadium in the country behind only Old Trafford. The stadium would be constructed using an 'overlapping footprint', using some of the land St James’ Park currently stands on. A small part of Leazes Park would be needed, but there is home that the reduced area would be more palatable to the city council and local residents. Though the majority of the park would not be impacted, a complicated planning permission process is expected.

Instead of concreting over the park, the plan is similar to the one Tottenham used to build their own new stadium. The current Leazes End may even form part of the new stadium, with the old stand knocked down as the new one is constructed around it. The new plans would see the stadium make a diagonal shift away from the listed buildings that make the redevelopment of St James’ Park so difficult. It would be a five to 10-minute walk away from where the Gallowgate End is now.

The multi-storey car park at the corner of the Leazes End would be demolished but the road behind the Milburn Stand would not be affected. The new bowl-shaped stadium would be higher than St James’ Park, making it an even more imposing feature of the city’s skyline. It is said the proposal could allow Newcastle to continue playing at St James’ Park while the new stadium is constructed and would not force the team to relocate their home games. There are a number of obstacles to the plans though, besides objections over using Leazes Park.

One is the fact that Newcastle is a host city for the European Championship in 2028. The potential need to relocate is also a challenge, with Edinburgh's Murrayfield the only realistic option. Newcastle would hope to finish the construction within six to seven years, which could mean the Magpies move into it at the start of the 2031-32 season. An expansion of the Gallowgate End is also on the table and would be roughly half the cost of the Leazes Park plan.

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